Nelson newman



(No Model.)

" N. NEWMAN.

POST HOLE BIGGER.

Patented Oct. 4,1887.

aitozmew UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON NEWMAN, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIBDS TO GEORGE A. SANDERS AND S. J. WILLETT, F SAME PLACE.

POST-HOLE DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370,810, dated October 4, 1887. Application filed May 9, rear. Serial ma a; (No model.)

To. aZZ whom it may concern.-

3e it known that I, NELSON NEWMAN, a citlzen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Hole Diggers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to animprovement in post-hole diggers;-and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter,

, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is I an elevation of a post-hole digger embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

A represents a cylindrical case, which is made of steel or other suitable material, and which is hollow, has its upper end closed, and

' has its lowerend open.

To the center of the top of the case is screwed a hollow tube, B, of suitable length, which extends upward from the case, and to'the upper end of the said tube is secured an arm or lever, 0. V

D represents a follower, which fits in the bore of the cylindrical case. From the upper side of this follower projects a rod, E, which extends upward through the tube and has a ball or head, F, at its upper end to strike upon the upper side of the arm or lever, and thereby limit the descent of the follower in the cylindrical case.

The lower edge of the case A is provided with inclined inverted-V-shaped notches G, thereby forming large depending cutting-teeth H between the said notches. The lower edges of the said teeth H are provided with sawteeth I, which are much smaller than the teeth H and extend in the opposite direction from the said teeth.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In order to dig a post-hole, the device is placed in a vertical position on the ground, and the operator presses down upon the same and turns it in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l by grasping the handles formed at the ends of the lever or arm. This circular motion of the device causes the large teeth H to cut into the ground, and thereby form a core of earth in the interior of the cylindrical case as the latter descends. The core of earth forces the follower upward in the case while the boring is in progress. When the case is entirely full of earth, the device is raised, thereby withdrawing the core of earth from the hole, and the said core is then ejected from the case by forcing the follower downward therein by means of the rod E, as'will be readily understood.

In the event that a root is encountered while boring, the operator reverses the rotation of the device and causes the same to turn in the direction opposite that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. This reverse rotation of the device causes the small saw-teeth I to cut through the root.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A post-hole digger having the case A, provided at its lower edge with the large cuting-teeth H, and the small saw-teeth I, formed in the lower edges of the teeth H and inclined in an opposite direction to said teeth H, substantially as described.

2. In a post-hole digger, the case A, having the handle or lever whereby it may be rotated, the said case being cylindrical and provided at its lower edge with the large cutting-teeth H, and the small saw-teeth I, inclined in an opposite direction to said teeth H, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in apost-hole digger, of the case A having the teeth at its lower edge, and the hollow tube extending from its top and provided with the lever or means whereby the case may be rotated, and the follower fitting in the case and having the rod extending upward through the hollow tube, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NELSON NEWMAN.

Witnesses:

GEo. A. SANDERS, WM. R. BowEEs. 

